Moving-picture machine



D. A.'BODIKER movmc mcruns MACHINE. APPLICATION men PRJM, 1920.

- Pgtefited Nov. 7,1922

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.24, I920.

Patented M. 7, 1922.:

- 2 SHEETSSH-EET 2. g 49 .97

l ps.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922..

UNITED stares;

DALLAS A. BODIKEB, OF DAYTCN, OHIO.

MOVING-PICTURE TEACHINE,

Application filed April 24, 1920. Serial No. 376,203.

To all whom it may cancer-m,

Be it known that I, DALLAS-A. Bonrknn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements'in MovingPicture Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvement in motion picturemachines, and more particularly to an intermittent operating device foractuating the film of such a machine.

One object of the invention is to provide an intermittent operatingmechanism which will be simple in its construction and operation, andwhich will be inexpensive to produce.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which canbe easily adjusted to take up wear and thus prevent all lost motion. r

A further object of. the invention is to provide a device of this kindwith which the driving member may be adjusted for the purpose of Framingthe picture.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described indetail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of. a motionpicture machine embodying my invention, with the cover plate removed;Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the machine showing theintermittent mechanism in rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of theintermittent drive; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the in termittentdrive; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the intermittent drive; Fig. 7' isa development of, a portion of the driving member; and Fig. 8 is a sideelevation of a modified form of the intermittent. drive.

Throughoutthe specification and draw"- ings similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a base fromwhich upwardly extends a division plate 2- and a front plate -3-- joinedby a wall -l which, together with a flange -5'- form an inclosure forthe lens and part of the film feeding mechanism. Also extending from thedivision plate 2- are upper and lower circular magazine flanges 9- and10- adapted to receive the well known reels, not

shown, which are mounted on spindles -l3 and 1 i--. The above describedportions, of the machine constitutes the lions mg, or casing which maybe'provided with a pocket 17 adapted to receive an electric mot-or (notshown) which may be used to drive the machine, but which forms no partof the present invention.

The reels --11- and 12- receive the film -18, Fig. 7, which is unwoundfrom the upper reel 11- and wound on the lower reel -12--. After passingfrom the reel -1l the film passes under an upper continuouslyrotating'sprocket '20- and is then looped as at -21 and passed in frontof a depressed plate 2'-- having an aperture --23 the same size as thepicture on the film tobe projected. The film then passes over anintermittent sprocket -24, is then looped as at 25, and passed over acontinuously rotating sprocket -26- and into the magazine --10- where itis wound on the reel 12. As is 'well known, the film 18 is looped as at-21- and -25- to permit that portion of the filmbeing projected to befed intermittently, while the re maining portions are unwound and wound.

continuously. The film -18. is held in enga-gement with the sprockets 20'24:- and j26'- by rollers 28- 29+ and 30-- mounted onspringinfiuencec'l frames -31 and 32 and -33 pivoted at 34. 35-' and -36respectively. The film 18 is held against the apcrture plate --22- bysprings 37 mounted on a gate 38 pivoted at 34 and held in position by a.latch -39-. When the latch 39 is'released the gate may he swung back onits pivot to permit of the insertion or withdrawal. of the film. Thegate carries theroll'er -29-. which is disengaged from its sprocket 24when the gate is swung back. At the same time, the roller -/8'disengaged from its sprocket by a projection 4EO, carried by the gateand is adapted to engage the frame vThe frame 38' of the lower sprocket26- is elevated individually. The depressed or apertured plate 22-engages the film at with the picture, thereby preventing the emulsionbecoming mutilated.

The lower sprocket -26 is mounted on a main drive shaft -etljournaled inthe plates-2- and --3- and is provided with a hand crank, not shown, bywhich the machine may be manually operated. The end of the shaft --&1,opposite the crank, is provided with two chain sprockets l3 and i4mounted on the side of the division plate opposite the sprocket 26. Thesprocket -4A-- drives the takeup spindle --l l-- for the lower reel -12through a chain 45 a sprocket -46 and any well known form of slipmechanism --..47 as is used in moving picture machines. The sprocket-43- drives the upper film sprocket --20- through a chain --4S-, and achain sprocket -49 mount ed on a shaft 97, journaled in the plate 2-,and upon which the upper film sprocket 20--- is mounted. It is to beunderstood that the film sprockets are provided with teeth adapted toregister with suitable perforations in the film in a well known manner.

To drive the sprocket 24 intermittently in either direction, the same ismounted on a shaft -51 journaled in the plates 2- and 8. On the side ofthe plate 2-- opposite the sprocket 24-, the shaft -51-- is providedwith a notched disc --52-- which may be flanged as in the presentinstance. The said disc is, in fact, an intermittent gear. The disc orgear is provided with notches or recesses -53-, in-the flange thereof,there being as many recesses as there are intermittent movements givento the film sprocket -24- during one complete revolution of the saidfilm sprocket. The recesses -53-- are adapted to receive, and the gear-52- is adapted to be intermittently rotated, by a helical cam 54:mounted on a shaft -55. The said cam -54- is pro vided with acontinuation -56- adapted to hold the notched disc or gear 52 andsprocket 2et at rest when the cam 54 is out of engagement with the saidgear. In one construction, the cam 54.-and a continuation -56 are a partof a cylinder -57 while in the construction shown in Fig. 14: thecontinuation is a mutilated disc 95- on a hub -63- and the cam is anoffset therefrom. The length of the cam. in proportion to its diameterof revolution, determines the time consumed in shifting and the amountof exposure of the film. In the drawings the parts are proportional fora cam of approximately one sixth of the diameter of revolution, but itis to be understood that this proportion may be increased or diminishedas desired. The shaft -55 upon which the cam -5-l is mounted isslidingly mounted in bearings 58-- and -59-- and is provided with a gear-60- in mesh with a gggr -61- on a shaft 62- 1ourna1ed in I firings 59--and 64.-.

The shaft 62 is provided with a spiral pinion 65 in mesh with a spiralgear -9(" mounted on the main drive shaft 41 and from which the cam isdriven. The intermittent sprocket 24- rotates at the same speed as thesprockets -20 and -26- but its angular speed is greater. The presentconstruction makes eight intermittent movements, and feeds eightpictures for each revolution of the film sprockets, but it is to beunderstood that this ratio may be varied by changing the dimensions andproportions of the parts. To frame the film and to place successivepictures directly opposite the aperture 23-, the sprocket -24 is adaptedto be moved, independently of the sprockets 20- and =2(i by shifting thecam -5l. and continuation 56 which rocks the sprocket 24. This movementis accomplished by a lever -66 pivoted at -67 and the lower end of whichlies between the cylinder 57 and gear 69 and is provided with-pins 50-which enter an annular recess in, the hub -63. The lever -66 extends outof the housing to a position where it may be conveniently manipulated byhand.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details ofthe invention as various modifications may occur to a person skilled inthe art.

Mounted in front of the film and in optical alignment with the aperture23 is a projecting lens 84.-- which throws the picture on a screen (notshown). The

rays of light projected by the lens pass out of the housing through anopening 85- in the flange 5. The lens -84: is supported on a slide 86mounted in guides 87-- on the division wall +2. The said lens 84. may beshifted along the optical axis, to focus the picture, by a screw 88-connected to the slide by a lever -89-. The screw 88 is provided with ahead -90 on the outside of the casing. Mounted in front of the lens--84' is the shutter shown in detail in Fig. 12. In the present instancethe said shutter is combined with the balance wheel and consists of aweighted rim -91- joined to a hub 92- by narrow spokes 93. The saidshutter and balance wheel are mounted on the shaft t32 and rotate oncefor each intermittent movement of the sprocket -2 1-. Mounted betweentwo of the spokes '-93 is a perforated screen -94.. The mechanism is sotimed that the screen passes before the lens '84:- and the projectedlight is intercepted during the time the picture is being changed andthe sprocket -24.-- is receiving its intermittent movement. The screen-94.- does not,

however, intercept all of the light, which expedient reduces fiicker onthe picture screen and eliminates eye strain.

The machine in the present instance is adapted to utilize the specialfilm shown in Fig. 13. The film itself is, however, of the conventionalwidth and is provided with the standard perforations. The ordinaryunexposed and undeveloped. film, commercially available, may, therefore,be utilized. In the present instance, the same space for a singlepicture on a standard film is used for four pictures which permits thefilm length, for the same subject, to be reduced to one fourth, with aconsequent saving in weight and a gain in portability. As will be seenfrom Fig. 18, the pictures are disposed on the film in two parallelrows, permitting the reels 11-- and 12 to be reversed withoutnecessitating rewinding the film, the two rows of pictures being headedin opposite directions. Therefore, after the film has been run throughonce for one row of pictures, it is only necessary to transpose theupper and lower reels to exhibit the other row. As the center of thepictures is to the side of the center of the film, the optical axis isplaced ofi the center of the film sprockets and the aperture plate, aswill be seen from the position of the aperture -23 in Fig. 6.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a picture projecting machine, an

intermittent feeding device comprising a disk having a circumferentialflange extending at anangle to the plane thereof and provided with aseries of notches spaced about the edge thereof, a driving memberrotatable about an axis transverse to the axis of said disk andcomprising a circumferential rib adapted to enter the notches in saiddisk and having at one end thereof a spirally offset portion to impartmove ment to said disk, and means for imparting axial movement to saiddriving member to adjust said disk for framing the picture.

2. film feeding device for a motion picture machine comprising anintermittent sprocket, a disk connected with said sprocket and rotatableabout the axis thereof, said disk having an annular flange extendingsubstantially parallel with the axis thereof and provided with notchesspaced about the edge thereof, a shaft extending transversely to theaxis of said disk, adriving member mounted on said shaft and comprisinga spiral rib adapted to enter the notches of said disk and having oneend portion thereof spirally arranged to impart movement to said disk,means for rotating said shaft, and an actuating device for impartingaxial movement to said driving member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DALLAS A. BODIKER.

